Health Tips

If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may be in a state of confusion. Not knowing what to do is the hardest part about dealing with any affliction. If you’re looking for information, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for some of the best tips for dealing with sleep apnea.

Do you partake in a drink or smoke? Quit these terrible habits. The reason is because these harmful substances impact your airways, and as a result, your sleep. When you smoke you can harm your lungs, and it can be hard for you to breathe at night. Alcohol has a similarly negative effect. If you find that you just can’t give these bad habits up, do what you can to not do either of them within four hours of your bedtime.

If you have sleep apnea, try sleeping on your side. If you are a back or stomach sleeper, gravity is working against you all night. Your airway is much more likely to collapse if you are facing straight up or down. Sleeping on your side instead makes it much easier for your body to maintain your airway as you sleep.

You will find it easier to go to sleep and remain asleep if you follow a schedule. Go to bed at the same time, follow a bedtime routine if it helps you relax and get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Create the ideal environment for you to sleep in.

Sleeping at a high altitude can worsen your sleep apnea because of the lower levels of oxygen. If you are going to a place located higher than what you are used to, take a CPAP machine with you. The best thing to do would be to completely avoid high altitude.

If you are a smoker, this may be making your sleep apnea more severe. When you smoke a cigarette, the airways in your nose become swollen, restricting the amount of air that you can breathe. Quit smoking if you can. If you can’t give it up entirely, don’t smoke in the evenings before bed.

If you have a CPAP machine, you should always have it with you. Using a different machine might not work as well since the settings or the mask might be different. If you have to go to the hospital, have someone bring your machine so you can keep on using it.

When you get your sleep apnea diagnosis and the doctor gives you a CPAP machine, be determined to stick with CPAP therapy. It can be a real adjustment getting used to sleeping with a mask on your face every night. However, your life and health depend on it. So tell yourself this is not optional, and set your mind on making it work.

Now that you’ve reached the end of this article, you can see that there are things you can do about your sleep apnea. You don’t have to simply accept it. Use what you’ve just learned to get a handle on this problem. You deserve to get the sleep that you need.